A rumble became a whump, then crescendoed into a roar, bass notes of destruction pierced by the treble of human shrieks. In the distance, Cecilia saw the escalator inside the North Tower lobby disappear in a cloud of smoke and dust. She couldn’t see Arlene, but she locked eyes with Nancy, perhaps ten yards away, her arms outstretched, her face contorted in fear. Amid the cacophony, Cecilia didn’t hear Nancy scream, but she read her unmistakable body language: “Help me!” Before Cecilia could respond, a gust of smoke enveloped Nancy, the security guard, and everyone and everything else between
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